Travel alarm clock with sliding case



June 2, 1953 K. o. SCHMIDT 2,640,668

TRAVEL ALARM CLOCK WITH SLIDING CASE Filed April 5, 1951 92 was? 92 INVENTOR. KARA OTTO SCI/MIDI ATTORNEY.

Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 5, 1951, Serial No. 219,339

In Germany November 30, 1950 3 Claims.

This invention relates to travelling alarm clocks and to the slidable cases which enclose them.

Portable alarm clocks are used by travelling salesmen, tourists and other travellers who spend the night in hotels, sleeping cars, passenger ships and the like. Since these clocks are carried from place to place in suitcases, overnight cases and other forms of luggage, it is essential that their travelling dimensions be kept at a minimum so that they will take up a minimum of space. When these clocks are placed upon a night table or bureau or other suitable article of furniture, their dimensions may be greater than their travelling dimensions since space is no longer at a premium. Henc it is that travelling clocks are generally mounted in extensible cases which open up to expose the clocks to View and to support them on a horizontal surface and which close up to cover and protect the clocks when they are put away in the luggage.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide an extensible case for travelling clocks, wherein the construction of the extensible case is such as to avoid the use of screws and rivets and similar fastening members. The extensible case herein described and claimed comprises plurality of stamped and formed parts. Some of these parts are soldered together. The remaining parts are held together by spring means, with the exception of one part which is pinned in place. The clock is held in place in the case by the very means that hold the case together and spring are provided to tensionally confine the clock and prevent dislodgement thereof. This spring means also serves to absorb shocks and to prevent their transmission from the case to the clock.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an extensible case of the character described which may be made and assembled inexpensively in accordance with mass production methods. There are only several soldering operations and two pinning operations. The spring held parts are simply snapped into place and into proper relation to each other.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of alarm control means in the clock case for operating the alarm control on the clock. This alarm control means is also a spring memher or a pair of spring members which are held in place by spring means.

A preferred form of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a race view of an extensible alarm of the side wall 20.

2 clock case made in accordance with this tion, showing it in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a top view thereof.

Fig. 3 is another face view of said face, showing it in open position, exposing the face of the clock.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a blank out of the clock supporting frame is made.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a blank out of which the back plate of said frame is made.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the back plate made from said blank, a part of said back plate being broken away to show its inner flange construction.

Fig. '7 is plan view of an inside plate used in the construction of the clock-holding frame.

.. 8 is a to edge view thereof.

5) is a perspective View of the clock-holding frame, the back plate thereof being shown in open position.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the case members.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view through the clockholding frame.

The travelling alarm clock i0 shown in Fig. 3 is conventional travelling clock having an alarm control member projecting upwardly therefrom. When the clock is wound, the alarm control member springs up into operative posi tion and when the alarm sounds, said control member must be depressed in order to terminate the operation of the alarm sounding mechanism. These features are conventional and they need not be shown in the drawing.

The extensible case it for said travelling cloci: comprises three principal component parts: a clock-supporting frame it, a slidable case member It, and a second slidable case member 18 which identical with the first case .member to. ii) is a showing oi case member it out it may just as well be deemed a showing of case member its because of the identity between said case members.

It wili be noted in 10 that case member i8 is provided with a ribbed or fluted side wall it? which extends around the closed end of case member to close both sides thereof. The case member is also provided with top and bottom walls Y22 and 26, respectively, which are identical with each other. Each of these walls is shaped to correspond to half of an ellipse and it is soldered along its side edges to "the corresponding top or bottom edges, as the case may be It will accordingly appear that case member :18 constitutes a shell whose invenwhich shape corresponds to half of an ellipse which has depth. soldered to the inside of both the top and bottom walls is a plate 26 which has a longitudinal slot or groove 28 formed therein, as well as a cut-out 39 in its front edge. Slot or groove 28 in each of said plates 25 serves as a track to guide the case member in its sliding movements relativ to the clock supporting frame. This will more clearly appear as the specification proceeds and the function of cut-out 30 will also shortly appear.

The clock supporting frame I4 comprises the following component parts: the frame proper 32, a back plate 34, a pair of pins 36 which secure said back plate to said frame proper, a pair of side plates 33, a pair of end plates 40, and a pair of spring members 42 which secure the side plates 38 to the frame proper 32. The frame proper is made from the blank 44 shown in Fig. 4. When the blank is bent along interrupted lines 43, a pair of side walls 48 are formed at right angles to the main body of said frame proper 32. Slots 53 are formed in said side walls at their respective opposite ends and the slots at the ends of one of said side walls register with the slots at the ends of the other of said walls. Circular holes 52 are also formed in said side walls, centrally thereof, and in registration with each other. The frame proper 32 is also provided with a pair of end walls 54 which are formed at right angles to the main body of said frame proper, along in terrupted. lines 56. Opposing notches 58 are formed in the side edges of end walls 54 for a purpose which will shortly become apparent. It will also be noted that the ends of the end walls are bent over along interrupted lines 60 to form back portions 62 which are rolled to form tubular receptacles 63 to accommodate pins 36. It will be seen that lugs 64 are struck out from the side edges of side walls 48 and that said lugs are bent over upon end walls 54 to hold the side walls and end walls in proper relationship. Said lugs may be soldered to the end walls to fix said side and end walls together.

A rectangular opening 86 is formed in the front L of the frame proper 32. This opening serves as a window through which the face of clock It may be seen. Surrounding said rectangular opening are marginal edges 68 and 10. These marginal edges lie on a common plane and they constitute the face plate of the clock supporting frame.

Back plate 34 is formed from blank 14. There is a large circular opening 16 in blank 14 and the peripheral edge of said blank along said hole is bent inwardly to form an annular flange l8 and a correspondingly larger opening 80 in place of the original opening '16. It is through this hole 80 that the back of the clock is exposed so that it may be wound and its alarm set operated. The blank is provided with ears 82 which may be rolled to form tubular receptacles 84 for pins 36, complementary to tubular receptacles 53 above mentioned.

When it is desired to secure back plate 34 to the clock supporting frame, pins 36 are inserted through tubular receptacles 84 and 63, thereby, in effect, pinning said back plate 34 to said clock supporting frame. It may also be found desirable to provide registering holes 86 in the side walls 48 of the clock supporting frame to receive the ends of said pins 36. In assembling the frame, it may be found helpful to insert pins 35 into tubular receptacles 63 and 84 through said holes 86.

Side plates 38 are mounted on the inside of the frame proper 32, against side walls 48 thereof.

These side plates are virtually as long as the side walls themselves, as Fig. 11 clearly shows. A circular boss 90 is formed in the center of each side plate 38, and it will be noted that this boss projects through hole 52 of the corresponding side wall 48 of the clock supporting frame. It will also be noted that spaced, parallel lugs 52 are struck out from the ends of each side plate 38 and that said lugs project through holes 50 of the corresponding side wall 48 of said clock supporting frame. These outwardly projecting lugs extend into slots or tracks 28 of p ates 26 in the case members and it is the relationship between said lugs and said tracks that serves to guide the casing members [6 and I8 in their sliding movement relative to the clock supporting frame and relative to each other.

Lugs 92 also serve to fix the side plates 38 relative to the side walls 48 of the clock supporting frame. Spring members 42 above mentioned are braced between the ends of the side plates 38. Reduced portions 94 at the ends of said spring members project into the spaces between each pair of lugs 82 to secure said spring members to said side plates and to the side walls of the clock supporting frame and also to secure said side plates to said side walls. As Fig. 9 clearly shows, these spring members are bowed to exert a relatively strong spring action upon the ends of said side plates 38 to hold them tightly against the side walls 48 of the clock supporting frame. This spring action also be sufficiently strong to cause the end portions of both the side plates 38 and the side walls 48 to bow outwardly in the manner and to the extent shown in Fig. ll. It is by this means that lugs 92 are held captive in slots or necks 28. Since said slots or tracks are closed at both ends the lugs serve to lock the case member l8 and it to the clock supporting frame. Moreover, the ends of the slots or tracks 28 serve as stops to prevent the case members from moving away from each other beyond predetermined points. The facing ends of the two case members serve as stops relative to each other when they are moved toward each other. Cut-outs 30 receive bosses 90 to avoid conflict between said bosses and the case members.

It will be noted in 7 and 8 that lugs 96 are struck out from si as 33, one on each side of circular boss 90. It will be further noted that an ear is formed along one side edge of each side plate 35). It will be understood that lugs 56 engage the sides of the clock to tensionally support the clock in its proper position in the clock supporting frame. Ear 83 engages back plate B and prevents said back plate from sagging.

It has above been stated that each side plate 38 is provided ith a circular boss 30. This circular boss co. We the alarm control of the alarm clock. As has abo e been stated. the alarm control member springs upwardly when the clock is wound, and it is thereby automatically set in operating position. To turn the alarm off, the alarm control member must be pushed downwardly and this may be done by pushing the circular boss 88 downwardly and against said alarm control member. Each side plate 38 is made of relatively thin, springy metal so that the circular boss formed thereon may be pushed downwardly, together with the center portion of the side plate, in the manner and for the purpose above mentioned.

End plates 40 also serve to position the clock in the clock supporting frame. The end portions Hill of said end plates it are bent over into engagement with notches 58 of the end walls 5 of the clock supporting frame. It is in this manner that said end plates 43 are secured to the inside of end walls 54 of the clock supporting frame. It will be noted in Fig. 11 that the center portion I02 of each end plate 40 is offset from the plane of the blank from which each said end plate 49 was formed. It is this center offset portion or yoke which engages the clock and exerts a tensioned action thereon to hold the clock in proper position in the clock supporting frame. It will, of course, be understood that the face plate of the clock supporting frame, comprising front marginal portions 68 and it, constitutes a front retaining wall for said clock and back; plate 34 constitutes the back retaining wall for said clock.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred form of this invention. It will be understood that the several parts of the extensible case, including the block supporting frame are made of sheet metal. The frame parts, and particularly the side plates on which the hollow circular bosses are formed, the offset end plates and the bowed leaf springs should preferably be made of spring metal or at least metal which has some measure of springiness. The ribs or flutes on the case members should be understood as being merely ornamental and not essential to the construction and operation of the device. Modifications of the preferred form of the invention and other forms of the invention may be had within the broad scope of the invention and the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An extensible case for traveling clocks comprising a clock-supporting frame and a pair of case members slidably mounted on said frame for movement toward and from each other to respectively conceal and expose said frame and the clock which it supports, opposing longitudinally extending guide tracks in each. said case members, said clock-supporting frame comprising a single die-cut and bent sheet blank constituting a front frame, a pair of end walls and a pair of side walls, all extending integrally at right angles from said front frame, said side walls having end portions which extend beyond the end walls, said end portions each having a slot t'herethrough, a pair of side plates abutting the insides of the side walls in face-to-face relation, their ends extending beyond the end walls, uide lugs on said side plates extending through said slots, a bowed spring extending between the ends of said side plates at the opposed guide lugs to resiliently maintain the lugs in their respective slots and in engagement with their respective guide tracks.

2. An extensible case for traveling clocks in accordance with claim 1, further characterized by having a back wall Which is pinned to the two end walls to span the space therebetween, said back Wall having an opening therethrough, through which may be had access to the back of a clock which is confined within said case.

3. An extensible case for traveling clocks in accordance with claim 1, further characterized by having a back wall which is pinned to the two end walls to span the space therebetween, said back wall having an opening therethrough, through which may be had access to the back of a clock which is confined within said case, an end plate on the inside of each end walls in faceto-face relation therewith, raised pads on said end plates extending inwardly, resilient tongues extending inwardly from the side plates, said pads and resilient tongues being situated for engagement with the clock to tensionally hold the clock in position in the clock-supporting frame.

KARL OTTO SCHMIDT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,908,150 Huguenin May 9, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 679,854 France Jan. 14, 1930 177,974 Switzerland Sept. 2, 1935 

